The Lambertville record., 1887-07-06
THE U. s. SENATE.
REMINIsCENCEs OF DISTINGUISH
ED MEMBERS OF THAT BODY.
A Maine Senator who served Long Be-
fore the War stln Living-The Many
Casualties of the Senate that Saw the
Outbreak of the Late Civil War.
Copyrighted. 1871


affairs, it has recently been ascertained
that James W. Bradbury, of Maine, who
represented that State in the United
States Senate from March 4, 1S47, to
March 3, 1858, pending the Thirtieth,
Thirty first and Thirty second Con-
crosses, is still living at the advanced
age of eightytwo, and in fairly robust
health.
Senator Bradbury was born in 1906, in
the territory originally confined within
the boundaries of Massachusetts, but
subsequently ceded to form the State OF
Maine, which State was admitted into
the Union as the tenth State additional
to the original thirteen on March Is,
1920. He was graduated from Bowdoin
College in 1926, embraced the profession
of law, and was chosen senator to sue
ceed George Evans, who was one of the
foremost lawyers of his day. Mr.. Evans
was the successor of John Ruggles in
the Senate, whose taste for the mechanic
arts was distinguishing feature of his
public career. 1t was through the efforts
of Senator Ruggles that the reorganiza-
tion of the United States patent office
was secured, and the very first patent
granted after its reorganization in 1886
was issued to him for alocomotive steam
engine. Senator Bradbury was succeeded
by William Pitt Fessenden, born in New
Hampshire in 1906 Mr.. Bradford, there
fore, ranks in longevity next to ex-
Senator Simon Cameron, born in 1900,
and is three years older than ex-senator
Jefferson Davis, and four years the
senior of ex-senator r. M. T. Hunter, of
Virginia.
1t is noticeable that of the twenty SEN
ators who have so far represented the
State of Maine, only one, James G.
Blaine, was born outside of New Eng
land. Of the other nineteen senator's,
fourteen were born within the territory
now comprising the State of Maine, four
were born in Massachusetts, and one in
New Hampshire. OF these twenty SEN
ators eleven were graduated from col
leges, as follows: John Holmes, Brown
University, 1895; Albion X. Paris,
Dartmouth, 1906; Ether Shepley, Dart
mouth, 1911; Judah Dana, Dartmouth,
1906; Wyman B. s. Moor, Waterville,
1889; Amos Nourse, Harvard, 1912;
George Evans, Bowdoin, 1916; James
w. Bradbury, Bowdoin, 1895; William
Pitt Fessenden, Bowdoin, 1898; James
G. Blaine, Washington College, Pa, 1847,
ID lAt.
Senator Lot M. Morrill, entered Water
vile College, but withdrew before gradu-
ating, and Senator Ruel Williams re-
ceiyed the degree of LII. d. from Dart
mouth. Senators John Fanfield, Hanni-
bal Hamlin, John Chandler, Peleg
Sprague, John Ruggles, Nathan A. Far
well and Eugene Hale were recipients
only of common school or academic edu-
cation. Senator Hamlin was preparing
himself for collegiate education, but
owing to his fathers death was compelled
to take charge of the farm, thence drift
ing into country printing office, where
he worked as compositor meantime
studying law until finally admitted to the
bar.
The Senate of the Thirty-seventh Con-
gress, commencing at the outbreak of
IL
changes. Senators Breckenridge, Bright,
Polk and Johnson, of Missouri, were ex-
PEELED upon charges of disloyalty. The
first to die was Stephen A. Douglas, of
Illinois, who expired June 3, 1861. He
was succeeded, through appointment, by
Orville III. Browning, from June 90, 1861,
to January 30, 1868, when William II.
Richardson, who had been chosen by the
Il o1a ba 6
Stephen A. Douglas, was seated. Sena-
tor Kinsley s. Bingham died October 8,
1861, and was succeeded by Jacob M.
Howard.
The next victim was Senator Edward
ID. Baker, of Oregon who left his seat
in the Senate to take the field on behalf
battle of Balls Bluff, near Leesburg, Va,
October 81, 1861, while gallantly leading
charge against the superior force OF
ceeded by Benjamin Stark, appointed by
the governor, who served until Septem-
Der 13, 1869, when Benjamin +. Harding,
expired term of General Baker, was
seated. Senator Pearce, of Maryland,
died December 90, 1862, and was succeeded
for the residue of his term, expiring
March 3, 1857, by Thomas II. Hicks.
Senator John r. Thompson, of New
Jersey, died September 12, 1862, and was
succeeded by Richard s. Field, appointed
by the governor, who served until Janu-
ary ID, 1868, when James w. Wall,
chosen by the Legislature, was seated
and served until March 8, 1863 Senator
Simmons, of Rhode Island, resigned
early in 1862, and was succeeded by
Samuel G. Arnold, chosen by the Legis-
lature, who served from September 13,
1869, to March 8, 1868, the expiration of
the Thirty-seyenth Congress.
Painful to relate, two distinguished
senator's, members Of this body, perished
subsequently by suicide-Preston King,
of New York, and James s. Lane, Of
Kansas Mr.. King was drowned in the
harbor Of New York city, November 10,
1865, having, 1t Is conjectured, thrown
himself overheard from ferrybott In a
fit Of mental arrangement He was at
that time the collector of the port of
New York. His body was not recovered
until May, 1866, on the very day that his
successor as collector of customs entered
upon his official duties.
Preston King was one of the most
eminent public men of the present cen
tury. He was born in 1906 at Ogdens-
burg, st. Lawrence county, N. Y, was
graduated from Union College, and was
a lawyer by profession. During the
administration of President jackson he
established and edited the st. Lawrence
Republican. He was a member of the
Legislature for several years and repre-
sented the Ogdensburg district in Con-
0rpse from 1S13 tn 1917 and AGAIN from